Gas gun having pneumatic driving device

ABSTRACT

A compressed gas gun includes an upper housing having a barrel for receiving projectiles to be fired and having a high pressure storage chamber, a loading bolt slidably engaged in the upper housing and movable to feed the projectile forward to a firing position. A pipe is attached to the loading bolt and includes an inner space, a conduit having a pathway, and one or more apertures for communicating the inner space with the barrel. An enclosing device may be used for selectively enclosing a passage of the loading bolt to allow the pressure gas to fill the pipe and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel, and for selectively disengaging from the loading bolt and enclosing the conduit to allow the pressure gas to fire the projectile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a compressed gas gun, and more particularly to a compressed gas gun having a simplified pneumatic driving system for simplifying the manufacturing processes of the compressed gas gun and for reducing the manufacturing cost of the compressed gas gun.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical compressed gas guns comprise a projectile feed tube for supplying projectiles into a barrel of a gun body one at a time, and the projectiles are preferably spherical in form and contain a marking fluid therein, a loading bolt is slidably disposed in the rear portion of the barrel for engaging with the one projectile that is supplied or fed into the barrel and for feeding or loading the projectile slightly forwardly toward a firing position.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,099 to Lee discloses one of the typical gas powered guns or paint ball guns also comprising a loading bolt slidably disposed in a rear portion of a barrel of a gun body for engaging with the projectile and for feeding or loading the projectile forwardly toward a firing position to wait for being fired. Normally, a hammer and a complicated control device are further required to be provided and attached to the gun body for moving or operating or actuating the loading bolt to engage and to feed or load the projectiles.

However, the loading bolt and the hammer and the control device form a rather complicated configuration that may not be easily manufactured and assembled and that may include a greatly increased manufacturing cost.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional compressed gas guns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a compressed gas gun including a simplified pneumatic driving system for simplifying the manufacturing processes of the compressed gas gun and for reducing the manufacturing cost of the compressed gas gun.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a compressed gas gun comprising an upper housing including a barrel having a bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to the barrel and opened into the bore of the barrel for supplying projectiles into the bore of the barrel one at a time, and including a high pressure storage chamber formed therein and communicating with the bore of the barrel, a lower housing having a hand grip extended downwardly for being grasped and held by a user, a loading bolt slidably engaged in the bore of the upper housing and movable to engage with the projectile that is supplied into the bore of the barrel for feeding the projectile forwardly toward a firing position, the loading bolt including a passage formed therein and communicating with the bore of the barrel for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire the projectile, a pipe attached to the loading bolt and including an inner space, and including a rearwardly extending conduit having a pathway formed in the conduit and communicating with the inner space of the pipe, the pipe including at least one aperture formed therein for communicating the inner space of the pipe with the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel and the upper housing and for allowing the pressure gas to flow from the inner space of the pipe into the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel and the upper housing, and an enclosing device for selectively enclosing the passage of the loading bolt to allow the pressure gas to flow into and filled within the inner space of the pipe and the pathway of the conduit and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel and the upper housing, and for selectively disengaging from the passage of the loading bolt and enclosing the pathway of the conduit to allow the pressure gas to flow through the passage of the loading bolt and to fire the projectile.

The loading bolt includes a radially and outwardly extending peripheral bulge slidably engaged in the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing. The upper housing includes an inner peripheral shoulder formed therein and communicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing, for engaging with the peripheral bulge of the loading bolt for limiting the loading bolt to move relative to the upper housing.

The upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing and to move the loading bolt rearwardly. The control device is disposed in the lower housing and includes a hose coupled to the port for supplying the pressure gas to the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing.

The enclosing device includes a blocking member slidably received in the inner space of the pipe and selectively movable to be forced onto or against the loading bolt to enclose the passage of the loading bolt and selectively movable to be forced onto or against the conduit to enclose the pathway of the conduit.

The partition of the upper housing includes another port formed therein for communicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing and to move the blocking member to enclose the passage of the loading bolt.

The upper housing includes a rear end cap for blocking the high pressure storage chamber and the bore of the barrel and the upper housing, the end cap includes a cavity formed therein and communicating with the bore of the barrel and an aperture formed therein and aligned with the port of the partition for communicating the cavity of the end cap and the bore of the barrel with the port of the partition.

A piston is slidably engaged onto the conduit of the pipe and movable toward the pipe and arranged to allow the pressure gas to force the piston forwardly toward the pipe and to selectively force the pressure gas to flow from the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel into the inner space of the pipe and then to flow into the passage of the loading bolt.

The partition of the upper housing includes a further port formed therein for communicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upper housing and to move the piston toward the pipe.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view of a compressed gas gun in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of a loading device of the compressed gas gun;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a flexible or resilient control member of the compressed gas gun;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the compressed gas gun; and

FIGS. 5, 6 are further partial cross sectional views similar to FIGS. 1 and 4, illustrating the operation of the loading bolt of the compressed gas gun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-2, a compressed gas gun 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper housing 10, and a lower housing 30 having a hand grip 31 extended downwardly therefrom for being grasped or held by the users. The upper housing 10 includes a barrel 11 provided or extended forwardly therefrom, and a projectile feed tube 12 attached to the barrel 11 and opened into the barrel 11 for feeding or supplying projectiles 80 into a bore 13 of the barrel 11 one at a time. The bore 13 may be formed in the barrel 11 and/or in the upper housing 10.

A loading device 50 includes a loading bolt 51 slidably disposed or engaged in the upper housing 10 or in the bore 13 of the barrel 11, and movable to engage with the projectile 80 that is supplied or fed into the barrel 11 (FIGS. 1, 4) and for feeding or loading the projectile 80 forwardly toward a firing position (FIG. 4). The loading bolt 51 includes a passage 52 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 for supplying pneumatic air or high pressure gas to propel or to fire the projectile 80. The pneumatic air or high pressure gas source, such as the typical gas bottle (not shown) or the like may be attached to the lower housing 30 for supplying the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to the compressed gas gun 1.

The upper housing 10 includes a high pressure storage chamber 14 formed in an intermediate or middle portion of the upper housing 10 and communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and includes an end cap 15 attached to the rear portion of the upper housing 10 for blocking or enclosing the high pressure storage chamber 14 and the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. The compressed gas gun 1 further includes a partition 20 formed or provided between the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 30 and having one or more, such as three ports 21, 22, 23 formed therein for communicating the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 with the lower housing 30.

It is preferable that the end cap 15 includes a cavity 16 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and further includes an aperture 17 formed therein and aligned with one of the ports 21 of the partition 20 for communicating the cavity 16 of the end cap 15 and thus the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 with the lower housing 30. A control device 40, such as a solenoid valve, a microswitch, a three-way or four-way control valve 40 or the like is disposed in the lower housing 30 and coupled to the ports 21, 22, 23 of the partition 20 with such as hoses 41, 42, 43 respectively, and also coupled to the typical gas bottle (not shown) or the like for controlling the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow to the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

A typical trigger 32 is pivotally attached to the lower housing 30 and preferably arranged within a trigger guard 33, for engaging with the control device 40 in order to actuate the control device 40 to selectively control or supply the pneumatic air or high pressure gas directly to the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 or indirectly through the cavity 16 and the aperture 17 of the end cap 15 via either of the ports 21, 22, 23 of the partition 20 and the hoses 41, 42, 43 respectively. The upper housing 10 includes an inner peripheral shoulder 18 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13 or the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

The loading bolt 51 of the loading device 50 includes a piston or an enlarged peripheral bulge 53 extended radially and outwardly therefrom and slidably engaged in the bore 13 or the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and the inner peripheral shoulder 18 of the upper housing 10 may be engaged with the enlarged peripheral bulge 53 of the loading bolt 51 for limiting the movement of the loading bolt 51 relative to the upper housing 10, and for locating the peripheral bulge 53 of the loading bolt 51 behind the front port 23 of the partition 20, and arranged to allow the pneumatic air or high pressure gas supplied to the front port 23 of the partition 20 to force the peripheral bulge 53 and thus the loading bolt 51 rearwardly toward the end cap 15 (FIGS. 5, 6).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the loading bolt 51 includes a threaded portion or an outer thread 54 formed or provided on the middle portion thereof and located or arranged behind the peripheral bulge 53, and further includes an extension 55 extended rearwardly and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the loading bolt 51 and the outer thread or the threaded portion 54. The loading device 50 further includes a pipe 60 having an inner thread 61 formed therein for threading with the outer thread or the threaded portion 54 of the loading bolt 51 and for attaching or securing the pipe 60 to the loading bolt 51.

The pipe 60 includes a reduced conduit 62 extended rearwardly therefrom and slidably engaged into the cavity 16 of the end cap 15 and having a pathway 63 formed therein for communicating with the cavity 16 of the end cap 15 and an inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and for allowing the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the hose 41 and the port 21 of the partition 20 and the cavity 16 and the aperture 17 of the end cap 15 into the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and then into the inner space 64 of the pipe 60, best shown in FIG. 4. The pipe 60 includes one or more apertures 65 formed therein for communicating the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 with the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 and for allowing the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 into the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

The loading device 50 further includes a blocking or enclosing member 70 slidably received in the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and movable to be forced onto or against the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51 (FIG. 4) by the pneumatic air or high pressure gas that flows into the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 in order to selectively block or enclose the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51, and thus to allow the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into and to be filled within the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. It is preferable that the blocking member 70 is made of soft, resilient, or spring rubber or other synthetic materials.

The loading device 50 further includes a piston 75 slidably engaged onto the conduit 62 or the pipe 60 and movable between the pipe 60 and the end cap 15 (FIGS. 4-6), and engageable with the end cap 15 for limiting the movement of the piston 75 relative to the upper housing 10 and the pipe 60 and the end cap 15 and for locating the piston 75 in front of the middle port 22 of the partition 20, and arranged to allow the pneumatic air or high pressure gas supplied to the middle port 22 of the partition 20 to force the piston 75 forwardly toward the pipe 60 and the loading bolt 51 and away from the end cap 15 (FIG. 5), and to selectively force the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 into the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and then to flow into the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 and to propel or to fire the projectile 80, best shown in FIG. 5.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, when the compressed gas gun 1 is initialized or energized or actuated by such as pulling the trigger 32 once and by the user, for example, the control device 40 may actuate or control the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the hose 41 and then into the port 21 of the partition 20 and the cavity 16 and the aperture 17 of the end cap 15 and then into the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and into the inner space 64 of the pipe 60, for allowing the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into and to be filled within the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. The blocking member 70 may be moved and forced onto or against the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51 by the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in order to block or enclose the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 40 may then be switched or actuated to control the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the other hose 42 and then into the middle port 22 of the partition 20. When the pneumatic air or high pressure gas is switched to flow into the other hose 42, the rear hose 41 may be released or opened, and the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 may force the blocking member 70 to move rearwardly toward and onto or against the conduit 62 of the pipe 60 in order to block or enclose the pathway 63 of the conduit 62.

When the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 is blocked or enclosed by the blocking member 70 and when the blocking member 70 is moved away from the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51, the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 and the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 may be guided to flow into the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 and to propel or to fire the projectile 80. At this moment, the piston 75 may also be forced to move forwardly toward the pipe 60 and the loading bolt 51 and to further force the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to further forcefully propel or fire the projectile 80.

As shown in FIG. 6, after the projectile 80 has been propelled or fired, the control device 40 may then be switched or actuated to control the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the further or front hose 43 and then into the front port 23 of the partition 20, and then to force and to move the peripheral bulge 53 and thus the loading bolt 51 rearwardly toward the end cap 15, and thus for allowing the other projectile 80 to be fed or supplied into the bore 13 of the barrel 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 40 may then be switched or actuated to control the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the rear hose 41 and the rear port 21 of the partition 20 again.

When the pneumatic air or high pressure gas flows into the rear hose 41 and the rear port 21 of the partition 20 again, the blocking member 70 again may be moved to force onto or against the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51 in order to selectively block or enclose the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 again, and thus to allow the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into and to be filled within the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. The pneumatic air or high pressure gas may also cause the loading bolt 51 to move the projectile 80 forwardly toward the firing position again, and may also force the piston 75 to move rearwardly and to engage with the end cap 15 again (FIG. 4).

It is to be noted that, when the trigger 32 is pulled once by the user, the control device 40 may be actuated or controlled to first supply the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to the rear hose 41 (FIG. 4) in order to fill the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and then to supply the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to the middle hose 42 (FIG. 5) in order to fire the projectile 80, and then to supply the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to the front hose 43 (FIG. 6) in order to move the loading bolt 51 and the piston 75 rearwardly to the original position as shown in FIG. 4.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, it is preferable that the blocking member 70 includes a peripheral groove 71 formed therein for forming or defining an outer peripheral flap 72 and for allowing the outer peripheral flap 72 to be slightly enlarged or expanded to suitably block the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 when the rear hose 41 may be released or opened. The blocking member 70 may thus be acted or used as a blocking means or device for selectively blocking the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 or the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 or the pathway 63 of the conduit 62.

Accordingly, the compressed gas gun in accordance with the present invention includes a simplified pneumatic driving system for simplifying the manufacturing processes of the compressed gas gun and for reducing the manufacturing cost of the compressed gas gun.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A compressed gas gun comprising: an upper housing including a barrel having a bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to said barrel and opened into said bore of said barrel for supplying projectiles into said bore of said barrel one at a time, and including a high pressure storage chamber formed therein and communicating with said bore of said barrel, a lower housing having a hand grip extended downwardly for being grasped and held by a user, a loading bolt slidably engaged in said bore of said upper housing and movable to engage with said projectile that is supplied into said bore of said barrel for feeding said projectile forwardly toward a firing position, said loading bolt including a passage formed therein and communicating with said bore of said barrel for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire said projectile, a pipe attached to said loading bolt and including an inner space, and including a rearwardly extending conduit having a pathway formed in said conduit and communicating with said inner space of said pipe, said pipe including at least one aperture formed therein for communicating said inner space of said pipe with said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upper housing and for allowing the pressure gas to flow from said inner space of said pipe into said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upper housing, and means for selectively enclosing said passage of said loading bolt to allow the pressure gas to flow into and filled within said inner space of said pipe and said pathway of said conduit and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upper housing, and for selectively disengaging from said passage of said loading bolt and enclosing said pathway of said conduit to allow the pressure gas to flow through said passage of said loading bolt and to fire said projectile.
 2. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said loading bolt includes a radially and outwardly extending peripheral bulge slidably engaged in said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing.
 3. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper housing includes an inner peripheral shoulder formed therein and communicating with said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing, for engaging with said peripheral bulge of said loading bolt for limiting said loading bolt to move relative to said upper housing.
 4. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating with said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing and to move said loading bolt rearwardly.
 5. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 4, wherein a control device is disposed in said lower housing and includes a hose coupled to said port for supplying the pressure gas to said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing.
 6. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said enclosing means includes a blocking member slidably received in said inner space of said pipe and selectively movable to be forced onto or against said loading bolt to enclose said passage of said loading bolt and selectively movable to be forced onto or against said conduit to enclose said pathway of said conduit.
 7. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 6, wherein said upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating with said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing and to move said blocking member to enclose said passage of said loading bolt.
 8. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 7, wherein said upper housing includes a rear end cap for blocking said high pressure storage chamber and said bore of said barrel and said upper housing, said end cap includes a cavity formed therein and communicating with said bore of said barrel and an aperture formed therein and aligned with said port of said partition for communicating said cavity of said end cap and said bore of said barrel with said port of said partition.
 9. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein a piston is slidably engaged onto said conduit of said pipe and movable toward said pipe and arranged to allow the pressure gas to force said piston forwardly toward said pipe and to selectively force the pressure gas to flow from said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel into said inner space of said pipe and then to flow into said passage of said loading bolt.
 10. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 9, wherein said upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating with said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing and to move said piston toward said pipe. 